Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	pure_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	14	3	8.4198	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85887	A treatise of prayer and of divine providence as relating to it. With an application of the general doctrine thereof unto the present time, and state of things in the land, so far as prayer is concerned in them. Written for the instruction, admonition, and comfort of those that give themselves unto prayer, and stand in need of it in the said respects. By Edvvard Gee, minister of the gospel at Eccleston in Lancashire.	Gee, Edward, 1613-1660.	1653 (1653)	Wing G451; Thomason E1430_1; ESTC R209520	284,427	526

despised vilified and distrusted persons in the Land while those who are but reputed Temporisers are the men looked upon received into the bosom promoted and entrusted Now where Religion is talked of and the ground and band of all correspondency and confidence is mens absolute flexibility and giving up themselves to any publique interest for private and self-respects sake even Charity her self will judg Religion is taken in but upon design It being thus manifest that many mens forwardness for Religion hath been to serve base carnal ends we may gather thence both what intolerable abuse hath been done to Religion and what guilt is then contracted 1. Religion hath grosly been abused and sadly suffered thereby and that many ways It its life and being whilest overgrown and overtopped with hypocrisie and worldly-mindedness in its honour whilest exposed to scandal and reproach and in its advance and growth whilest the Reformation intended and begun hath been by no means so much undermined retarded and blasted as by this All the professed contradictions and oppositions of the Papists and prophane have not so availed to crush and strangle this work as these self-designers like the Samaritans in Ezra Ezr. 4.1 2 coming in to joyn with the children of the Captivity in building the Temple on purpose to cross it have done 2. A great trespass is thereby committed Jer. 22 14. See our English margent Et lacerat sibi fenestras meas tectum cedrinum deinde pingit Iudici Junius i. e. Rerum e domo mea amocarum in usum suum loco obducit colorem floridum Jud●ci ne fraus manifesta sit Id. this is for men with Jehojakim as our margent and Junius read that place in Jeremiah to cut out Gods windows and his Cedar-sieling out of his Temple therewith to build and deck our own houses and to paint over the breach they have so made in Gods house with Vermillion that is to bestow upon Religion a vain flourish or colourable complement and under pretence thereof to dispoil it of its solid and substantial furniture For that fact of Jehojakim the Lord pronounceth a wo upon him Wo unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong that saith Ver. 13 14 15 An Regnaturus es quia tu misces te cum ista Cedro Jun. i. e. Res sacras admisces tuis an his artibus regnum tuum stabilum iri existimas Id. I will build me a wide house and large chambers and cutteth him out my windows and Cedar-sieling and then paints it over with vermillion and in particular tells him Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self with that Cedar Let the false pretending dissemblers to Religion that seek and set up themselves and enlarge their houses and estates thereby take to themselves this woe else it will certainly take hold on them Let us go on to other particulars Here is a decay cooling dying of Religion we are all generally baptized persons professed Christians we bear the name of Christ own the Religion of his Gospel in opposition to and distinction from Heathenism Judaism Turcism yea and Popery We declare for Protestantism and Reformation but where is the soundness life vigor and efficacy of these things If any sense or power of these things moved in us at first unto the embracement of them what is become of it The Lord may say of us as of Jerusalem I remember thee the kindness of thy youth Jer. 2.2 the love of thine espousals In the beginning of Reformation in King Edwards Queen Maries and Queen Elizabeths days there was some zeal and forwardness expressed for the truth and for the pure worship of God in acting for the abolition of Popery and for Church-Reformation and in sufferings unto death but from that time how soon were we departed How continuedly have we degegenerated How far are we now fallen from that life and fervor Where are the forward actors Where are the resolute Endurers for the Cause of God A zealous strict gracious and fruitful course of life and conversation hath all along by the most been layd aside loathed hated denyed and persecuted We have of late begun high attempts and engagements as if we would not only recover but exceed and out-strip our first settings forth for Religion but this rise hath seemed to be but like that of a body mortally sick or wounded which in the approaches of death well have one or a few starts and liftings up to recall as it were its departing Soul but is not able to hold up when it is raised and therefore yields presently again to the seizure of death May we not fear that the late stirrings and sticklings for Reformation were but as sprints or struglings before death considering how little these are seconded yea how quite flat these are layd down yea what intentions studies and practices clean contrary to them are taken up and practised Methinks when I consider the story of Gideon I see a lively portraicture of the men of these times Gideon at first when in his low condition when he threshed wheat by the wine-press to hide it from the Midianites and when he confessed his family was poor in Manasseh and he was the least in his fathers house and the Lord set him to throw down the Altar of Baal and cut down the grove by it and to build an Altar unto the Lord and to offer thereon a burnt sacrifice with the wood of that grove he was very forward zealous and couragious both in the removing of Idolatry and erecting the worship of the true God But when he had accomplished his great conquests and the deliverance of Israel from the Midianites and Amalekites how then proceeded he in reference to Religion Why he makes a request to his people for their golden Ear-rings Judg. 6.11 15. cap. 8 24 c. accordingly they grant and spreading a garment every man therein casts the Ear-rings of his prey and he makes an Ephod thereof and puts it in his City and all Israel goes thither awhoring after it Even thus have men the Gideons the mighty men of valor now delt with Religion At the first when they were little in their own sight then down with the Altar of Baal and the grove down with Idolatry Superstition and all humane Innovations and Inventions in Religion Then for nothing so much as for Reformation and purity in the Worship of God and in the Ministry and Government of his House but when the Wars are over and Victory is obtained then the conclusion about Religion is this Let every man bring in his golden Ear-ring the uncouth and extravagant Notions and Opinions which he hath taken up during the War an employment which hath often proved not more hurtful to mens bodies by bringing diseases wounds and death then to their minds and souls by breeding Error and vice and make a many-coloured changeable Ephod that is an interwoven mixture and free Toleration

without scruple 2. Others are bent against the persons of men and these are also differenced into 1. Such as are not for mens destruction but correction only by some temporal evil or affliction which is desired to befall them for this end that they may be brought to understand humble themselves repent of their iniquity and turn to God As is that of the Psalmist Psal 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy Name O Lord. So Elihu is conceived to pray concerning Job My desire is that Job may be tryed or O my Father Job 34 36. let Job be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men that is as Diodate paraphraseth it Do not O God withdraw thy visitations from Job until thou hast brought him to the duty of a child and to the only means of obtaining pardon which is humility and confession Neither is the lawfulness of Imprecations like to these stuck at by Divines 2. Such as are against mens persons for their subversion and these are of a threefold nature or Consideration 1. Some are against men as they are Gods Enemies a Psa 68.1 69 2.109.6 Rom. 11.9 Judg. 5.31 2. Some are against men as they are the Churches Enemies b Psa 79.6 137.7 Lam. 3.64 Neb. 4 4 3. And some are against men as they are their own Enemies that pray c Ps 55.15 59.13 71 13 Jer. 15.15 17 18 18.21 20.12 2 Kin. 1.10 2.24 2 Tim. 4.14 Now these three kinds of Malediction are those that are called into question and that two ways 1. Whether they were Justifiable in them that used them in sacred writ 2. Whether they be imitable lawfully in by us against the like Enemies First For the former Question The Justifiableness of them in them that used them in holy Writ is generally assented unto and thus cleared 1. Many of those Execrations may be taken to be uttered by a Spirit of Prophecy and so to be rather Prophetical Predictions and Denunciations of divine Judgments certainly foreseen to come upon the parties then meer wishings and desirings of evil to them proceeding originally from the wills of them that pray d Verba praedicantium non vota imprecantium * August contra Faustum idem de Serm. Dom. li. 1. Optativo modo usi sunt pro Indicativo 2. Others of them if they came not from a divining Spirit yet they might come from a discerning Spirit peculiarly given to them whereby they might be able to discover those against whom they so prayed to be implacable and desperate Enemies of God his Church and Truth 3. The Utterers of those prayers being Penmen of holy Writ or otherwise extraordinary persons may well be deemed to have been moved with a pure zeal of God and his Cause and clear of those base incentives of private passion malice and impatience more incident to others And whereas those prayers may seem to oppugn the Rules of charity and prayer for our Enemies it may be said Those Rules are to bind where there is no special Warrant for exception and charity to men must be subordinate and secondary to our love and zeal towards God 2. But if any vitiosity may be supposed in any of those Instances as some incline to admit in those votes of the Prophet Jeremiah e H. Bullinger in Jer. 15. ●5 And Scultet de prec c. 16. p. 76. such doubtless are to be born with in them and passed over by us without following them therein Secondly For the latter Question about them viz. their Lawfulness for us to practise This may not simply be granted but we are to distinguish of the manner of conceiving such prayers which may be 1. Either generally or indefinitely as when one prayeth against the Enemies of God and Christ whomsoever they be not pitching upon any particular persons and without eyeing or judging these or those to be such but leaving it to God to find them out and deal with them accordingly Of this nature is that of Deborah and Barak So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord Judg. 5.31 And that of the Apostle not only pronounced by him but imposed upon others to concur in If any man love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Anathema Maran atha Such like Imprecations keeping within the general denunciation both with tongue and eye are not inconvenient for Christians now 2. Or particularly conceived that is personally applyed and fixed on this or that man or people and these Maledictions are to be held unwarrantable for us ordinarily we having no special or infallible gift of prophecy or discerning whereby we may be enabled to see into mens spiritual estate or to foresee what is absolutely the portion of their cup from the Almighty or to dictate unto us such prayers we falling short also of that clearness of zeal and immixture of Love to God which in some in times past hath been We having no such special call or assistance as others have had our safest and clearest way is to take notice of that rebuke of our Saviour unto James and John Luk. 9.55 Mat. 5.44 Ro. 12.14 19. 1 Pet. 3.9 1 Pet. 2.23 Lu. 23.34 Acts 7.60 when they would have called for fire down from Heaven upon certain Samaritans And to walk by those Rules which on the other hand are given us in the Gospel of Loving doing good to blessing praying for our Enemies Cursers and Persecutors and of refraining cursing self-avenging and wrong-retaliating And for which we have the practise of our blessed Saviour and of his servants set before us in Scripture We have thus an Extract of the Rules of Scripture concerning the Subject of prayer both as it respecteth things and persons There is yet another branch of this preceptive ground of prayer to be viewed viz. that which prescribeth the way in which prayer must be performed and put up to God This hath included in it two things 1. The means or assistance by which we must pray 2. The manner how Briefly of both First The means or assistance by which we must pray this is twofold 1. It must be in Christ 2. It must be in the Spirit We are to make use of both these by way of Intercession or Advocateship Christ maketh Intercession for us in Heaven a Ro. 8.34 at the right hand of God The Spirit maketh Intercession within us in the heart b Ro. 8.26 Christ is our Advocate with the Father c 1 Joh. 2.2 The Spirit is our Advocate abiding with and in us d Jo. 14 16 The Spirit is called another Advocate in relation to Christ who is also our Advocate The Spirit is another because different from him both in person and in the nature of his Advocateship Christ is our Advocate in Heaven by way of Expiation of our sins Attonement Reconciliation and Representation of our persons and of our prayers before God The Spirit is our

saith Mat. 7.3 And why beholdest thou the moat that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye In reprehending this fault he insinuateth the commonness of it in the nature and practice of men and the thing which he reproveth is not the bare seeing of a moat a little fault in our Brothers eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pi●● 〈◊〉 quā 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 damnatur qui vel frat●es vel suos errores videt intelligit sed quia alienos intuetur studio reprehendendi suos autem dissimulat Bez. in loc for that is not culpable but a studying to detect ou● Brother of a fault signified in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beholdest that is lookest or p●yest strictly narrowly and rigidly with a forwardness and quickness to apprehend something amiss in another as may also be insinuated in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the moat in the eye for in looking towards another man we commonly look him first in the face and in the eye and if any thing be there amiss though it be but a small moat we see it presently and apprehend it in the largest shape any slight blemish or bu● an appearance of an imperfection in that part is speedily marked This aptness to fault another is that which Elihu in the upshot of the debate taxed Jobs three Friends with They had found no answer Job 32 3 and yet had condemned Job They could alledg no reason or matter to convince him yet they find a heart and mind to condemn him And as there is in men a prejudice towards others in general through which they are disposed to find fault with all but themselves and to lay that blame which must rest some where at any other mans door rather then their own So there is a more special and vehement prejudice among those one against another betwixt whom there is any contrariety or variance and the stronger the opposition is the stronger is the prejudice and hence it is that men that are bandied into Sects or parties against each other do usually without standing to enquire or reflect any other way cast all the cha●ge and procurement of calamitous events upon their opposite way or party In that notable Schism in the Camp of Israel of Corah and his Complices into which they drew all the Congregation against Moses and Aaron when God cut off the Conspirators by his immediate and terrible hand in the Earths opening her mouth and swallowing up the Ring-leaders and the fires consuming the rest the people that had followed those movers of Sedition impute this dreadful destruction to Moses and Aaron Numb 16 41 On the morrow they murmur against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord. They h d killed them no otherwise then that they durst not concur with them but had kept to the Ordinance and charge of God by him imposed on them yet thus they lay the sad consequences of their insurrection and sacriledg upon them Envy and enmity are very precipitate and unequal Judges and know not where to lay any load but upon them against whom they are bent all the odium and guilt must needs be transferred to their adverse party When Seleucus as it is in the Maccabean story had sent Heliodorus his Treasurer to seize for his use a great sum of Mony 2 Maccab. cap 3 4 Jac. Usser Annal. An. M. 3828. p. 554. treasured up in the Temple at Jerusalem and the said Heliodorus adventured to execute the command notwithstanding the admonitions and entreaties of Onias the High Priest and the outcries of the people against the presumption of that deed and being in the Temple in the very act was by an apparition of Angels struck down speechless and carryed out thence for dead and his whole guard and retinue sore terrified but upon the prayer of Onias was recovered to life and returning to Seleucus the King acknowledged the hand and power of God in that his punishment and so desisted Simon the Benjamite an inveterate adversary to Onias who in despite to Onias had discovered the said Treasure and procured Heliodorus to b● sent to despoyl the Temple of it this Simon upon the aforesaid issue accused Onias a good Patriot of Religion and of his Country as the worker of those evils against Heliodorus and upon them slandered him as a Traytor to the King So miserably squint eyed and prejudicate is malice and contention So easie and ordinary is it for them that are Antagonists to turn any disastrous accident into matter of aspersion and impeachment against those to whom is their grudg The Jews the Enemies of Christs Name ascribed the dangers and discords their Nation was in from the Roman State which ended in their destruction unto our Saviour his Disciples and Doctrine as appears in the History of the Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles The Heathen Romans accused the Christians as the causes of all the mischiefs that by Commotions War Famine Pestilence Earthquakes See Clarks Martyrol p. 34 37 56 98. Rev. 12.10 and Invasions of barbarous Nations befell the Roman Empire By these slanders did Satan in those Pagan Persecutors act his part of the Accuser of the Brethren It is well known how the Papists Athiests and hypocritical Time-servers have ever since the rise of Antichrist to these our days aspersed and now cease not but rather whet their tongues sharper to asperse the faithful Martyrs Confessors and Protestant Reformers in the several Countr●es of Europe with the true and pure Doctrine and Religion professed maintained and revived by ●hem as the causes of the publique combustions and woes This not only the Histories of t mes passed and our own present hearts-grieving experience witness but the Scripture as I understand foretelleth where it saith The seven-headed Re● 1● ● ten-horned and ten-crowned Beast openeth his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven Such is the propension of mans nature when an unhappy event must be somewhere charged to cast it upon other mens backs to bear rather then their own and of all others soonest on those upon whom they have any spleen or malice placed and this readiness to prejudg and impeach others may often be the cause of mens miscarrying in the discovery of the true reason of the sad occurrences or providences they meet with As I have given divers instances of that propenseness and of this effect of it let it be without offence if I pass not over one instance more it being so plain present and pertaining to us The heavy things that have fallen out in England and Scotland these two last years the dint whereof hath more immediately light upon the Scotish Nation as at Worcester and Dunbar in which affairs there was much seeking unto God by prayer for and against as the perswasion and